The Art of Surviving
Okay, I lied. Found out that while I'm only on episode 3 of the new season, it's a couple of episodes ahead of me. Damn On Demand for not being up to date! Oh well, I'm still just in season 2 here lol.
Lori opened her eyes to sounds of growling and yelled in fear at the sight of a walker trying to push it's face through the broken glass of the overturned car. She struggled back away from it and looked around for anything she could use to beat it. She pulled free the broken gear shift and rammed it into the eye socket of the walker before it managed to reach into her. She took several deep breathed then climbed out of the vehicle, keeping her eyes on the dead walker.
She screamed again when another walker came behind her and grabbed her. She twisted and turned, nearly gagging at the smell of decay and rot coming from the creature. She got away and fell to the ground, crawling backwards. The walker was on top of her quickly, grabbing at her legs, trying to pull it's meal back to it. It took a hubcap to the side of the head and fell over. Lori got back to her feet and looked around, desperate by now.
She spotted the hand gun in the car and rushed back to get it. The growling and snapping noises behind her informed her of the company she had. She fell into the car and grabbed up the gun then turned around to come face to face with the walker. She held out the gun and pulled the trigger, firing a bullet into the walker's head and dropping it's dead body to the ground.
Lori shakily got out of the car and looked around, fearing more creatures would be lumbering her way. There was a sound of shuffling leaves from the trees and she whipped around, gun aimed. A figure stumbled out from the foliage, looking lost and confused and very very dirty. It was female, with very short greying hair. Lori paused as she took in the person and slowly lowered her weapon, moving carefully towards the newest arrival.
"Carol?" The brunette asked cautiously.
There was a growl in return.
***TWD***TWD***TWD***TWD***TWD***
Bo looked at Rick cautiously as he stood over the men he had just killed. Maybe the things Shane had been saying were finally getting to him, becoming clearer. Bo knew first hand that the living could be just as bad, if not worse than the dead in some cases.
"Let's head back." Hershel finally spoke up, sounding sober now.
"I'm all for that." Bo agreed, picking up a gun from one of the bodies and looked it over. She headed over to the door but paused at the sounds of a car. She shared a look with Rick before ducking into hiding with Glen. "Just can't catch a break."
"It'll work out." Glen assured her. Bo just grinned at him as she held the gun at the ready. She looked around then gestured for his help as they heard the men outside converging back in front of the bar. The two of them moved carefully to get the door blocked, Rick and Hershel watching their moves, guns ready for a worst case scenario.
Bo listened with half attention as everyone started yelling at each other. She didn't really pay any mind until gunshots started ringing out and the windows shattered. She followed Glen away from the door and to the back and took down people outside. She looked at the young man with her, curious to his slight moment of inactivity. She remembered him saying in the car about Maggie telling him she loved him and thought back on all the implications such a statement would lead to.
"Glen, try for the car, Hershel you cover him." Rick instructed with the foursome got back together. "Me and Bo will keep these guys down."
"Be careful, China man." Bo muses, barely aware of the fact that she was using one of Daryl's mannerisms. Glen looked at her for a moment, confused himself, then went out to try and get to the car for them. Bo crouched by one of the shattered windows and looked out.
"You okay?" Rick asked, glancing at the young blonde doctor.
"Peachy keen." Bo replied softly. Rick took her in with curious eyes. Her demeanour had definitely changed from the moment their lives went into danger. The first pair of men walking through the door had tensed the woman up and she had yet to loosen, keeping high strung and wary. He noticed it, barely, when they were running from the CDC building, taking out walkers that were attracted to the explosion. It brought him back to the moment in the forest when they were looking for Sophia and the calculated look in her eyes as she took in the surrounding trees.
"THEM THINGS ARE COMING THIS WAY! WE NEED TO GO NOW!" A man yelled out from a truck as he drove the loud vehicle into the area. Bo and Rick looked out as the remainder of their attackers converged on the truck. A loud scream of pain rang out and they looked to see a young man stuck on a fence as the truck pulled away.
"Damn it." Bo muttered, angry at the problem they now faced. She whistled up to Hershel before walking out of the bar and going for the young man, Rick right behind her. "This looks bad."
"We can't leave him." Rick insisted. He turned to Glenn as the young man joined up with them. "That hatchet still in the car?"
"You wanna cut his leg off?" Bo asked, eyebrows raising.
"Any other suggestions?" Rick asked.
"He'll go into shock no matter what we do, he's probably half way there right now." Bo pointed out. She fired her gun at a walker that was nearing them and frowned as the man on the fence groaned in obvious pain. "We...we don't have time."
"You saying we just leave him to get eaten?" Rick asked, staring at the young doctor.
"I'm saying we're gonna get eaten." Bo pointed out, firing again. Glen was taking out walkers as they neared as well by that point. Rick looked around, his heart dropping as he realized Bo was right. They couldn't save the boy and keep themselves alive. They had maybe ten seconds to get in the car and go. With a moment of deep sorrow and regret, he pulled the trigger of his gun with the barrel pointed at the man on the fence then took off with the other three for the vehicle.
***TWD***TWD***TWD***TWD***TWD***
"Anyone know where Carol is?" Andrea asked, sitting with the rest of the group as they all prepared for dinner. Everyone looked around, several of them realizing guiltily that they hadn't seen Carol since she had been asked if she wanted Sophia buried. The mother had gone off into her tent and everyone had just assumed she still in there. Anna frowned deeply, mentally cursing herself for not noticing.
"My mom's not here either." Carl pointed out, worried.
"They're probably together." Anna tried to assure the boy. Everyone got up from their spots to do a quick sweep around the farm for the missing women.
"Lori probably went off to get Rick and them." Daryl pointed out with a deep unsettling frown on his face. "She asked me to go but I ain't sticking my neck out there."
"And you're just now mentioning this?" Andrea asked.
"I heard her do it." Anna stepped in for Daryl's defence. "I didn't figure she'd be so determined on it to actually go out on her own though. I'll go find her."
"I'll go along with you." Shane volunteered, picking through the weapons and passing over a gun to the brunette woman. Anna gave a quick grateful smile. She watched in curiousity as Shane exchanged a look with Andrea, giving her a nod before heading for a truck. Anna quickly followed him, patting Carl on the shoulder to reassure him.
They were silent for a few minutes, looking out at the dark empty road. Anna tapped her fingers on her legs, looking around for some sign of either of the mothers. Mentally cursing herself over and over. Carol should have been watched, she had just lost her child, she was going to turn flight risk.
"You know which way we're going?" Anna asked, turning to look at Shane as he gripped the steering wheel.
"Toward town." Shane replied quietly. Anna sighed and looked out the front window. "You alright?"
"Feeling stupid." Anna muttered. Shane glanced over at her and lifted an eyebrow. "None of us knew Carol was gone. We all just assumed she was grieving in her tent. We should have checked on her."
"Everyone was giving her space, albeit too much space it seems." Shane reminded her gently. "Wasn't any clue that she'd go off." Anna just nodded, still feeling guilty. They pulled to a stop by the overturned car and got out to look around, taking in the dead walker bodies.
"LORI!" Shane called out, frowning. Anna looked at him, unsure if she should tell him to keep quiet or not. "Damn it, that woman!"
"We'll find her." Anna assured him. She didn't direct his attention to the blood in the grass but she did take note of it. They walked around the site then tensed up when there was shuffling and growling. Whipping around, guns ready, they both froze when two female figures stumbled their way towards them.
"Holy God..." Shane muttered, eyes widening. Anna backed away from what was once Lori and Carol, moving herself closer to Shane and the truck.
"Well...we found them." The woman muttered dreadfully. Lori growled, her jaws snapping, the big chunk missing from her arm told them all they needed to know of what had happened, as did the fleshy bits dangling from Carol's chin and the fresh blood that made a mess of her front. The duo shuffled their way closer and Anna darted her eyes to Shane, wondering what should be done. He faltered only for a moment, a look of regret in his eyes, before he lifted his gun to the ready and fired twice. The female walkers fell to the ground, holes in their heads, and laid still.
***TWD***TWD***TWD***TWD***TWD***
Anna took the responsibility to tell the group what had happened and she took the blame for shooting them. She had argued with Shane about it during the ride back and was relieved when he didn't say a word to oppose her statement. He was already getting treated like a threat, she didn't need this to push anything further.
Andrea had been wordless as she handed both of them the food from the dinner they hadn't had the chance to consume earlier. The blonde patted Shane's arm sympathetically before going off to take walker watch from on top of the RV.
"Do you think it was fast?" Carl asked quietly, sitting with Shane and Anna and looking at them with watery eyes though no tears fell.
"Just remember that your mom loved you." Anna stated firmly. She gently nudged the boy's chin with her knuckles and smiled at him. "She was a good lady." Shane scoffed but said nothing to argue the statement.
There was talk amongst the rest of the group of what to do, what would be said to Rick upon his return. Everyone went to sleep after a while with nothing else to do. Anna had ended up in the tent with Carl to keep him company as he no longer had his mother and his father was away.
Daryl was the first one to see the car pull in and raised an eyebrow in curiousity when the foursome exited the vehicle. Bo limped from the back seat and Rick circled around the car to help her as Glen and Hershel went to Maggie and Beth. Daryl paused, not being able to help the concern with why the girl was limping.
"What happened?" Shane asked, looking up as Rick and Bo joined him and Carl. The blonde woman was a little surprised by the concern present in the deputy's voice.
"Accident." Bo muttered. Eyebrows were raised as more people looked their way.
"Bo sort of...slammed her foot in the car door." Rick explained. There was a pause of silence.
"We were getting in the car and a walker grabbed my foot." Bo expanded the explanation with a roll of the eyes. "I pulled, it pulled, I closed the door...really fast...trying to get it's hand...and I ended up getting my ankle."
Shane was the first to start laughing. It started low, he was trying to hide it. But it got louder from a low chuckle to a full on laugh. Rick was ready to get mad when he felt Bo shaking next to him and then she started laughing as well. Soon after that Rick, Anna, T-Dog, Andrea, Glen and Maggie were laughing as well although no one really knew why. Carl stared at the adults, trying to figure out what was going on but giving up. Daryl just shook his head and turned his attention elsewhere.
"I don't get it." Beth muttered, frowning.
"I think they just need to laugh." Hershel informed his youngest child. He rubbed her back then put his arm around her. Beth raised an eyebrow then sighed and just watched the people laughing.
So no Randell issues in this story. Reading the stuff on the show and these episodes and I decided that Randell was basically a catalyst for what happened with Rick and Shane.